WASPS VISIT STARTS A BUSY SPELL

NEWS Tuesday 12th June 2007, 8:00pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Armadale will see two of the best new signings of 2007 when much-improved Newport visit in the Premier League.

It's an Armadale debut for the latest Aussie sensation Tom Hedley plus high scoring Polish star Michal Rajkowski. And he's riding at reserve! Monarchs know they must get back to winning ways after a disappointing home defeat last Friday, and they will be hoping to perform well also in fixtures at Stoke (Saturday) and Newport (Sunday).

TEAMS FOR THE PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH AT ARMADALE ON FRIDAY 15th JUNE (start time 7.30, doors open 6.30) are:

EDINBURGH SCOTWASTE MONARCHS: Theo Pijper, Derek Sneddon, Ronnie Correy (capt.), Andrew Tully, Henrik Moller, Jack Roberts, Matthew Wethers

NEWPORT WASPS: Nick Simmons, Tom Hedley, Phil Morris, Tony Atkin, Chris Schramm, Michal Rajkowski, Barry Burchatt

CHANGE OF PAIRS: Monarchs swap round their pairings for the weekend's matches to try to get a better blend. Theo Pijper moves to the no. 1 position he rode in last season, and partners Derek Sneddon.

In the middle pairing Ronnie Correy will team up with Andrew Tully.

Henrik Moller continues at number 5 teaming up with the reserves three times.

Pairing riders can be a tricky business but these duos will hopefully complement each other well.

POLISH INSPIRATION: It was a major surprise when Newport promoter Tim Stone announced his final signing for the 2007 season.

With legendary Wasp Craig Watson still without a club at the time, the name of Michal Rajkowski did not ring many bells with supporters.

At no stage was he a failure but he did take a few matches to get used to UK conditions, and when the first averages were announced he dropped to reserve.

The long gap before the figures change mean that ?The Raj? is still at reserve, but amongst his sensational achievements recently have been.... two 19 point scores?. winning the FIRST FOUR heats in a match at Redcar?. ELEVEN double figures scores?. and it's not yet the middle of June!

AWAY MATCHES: The Scotwaste Monarchs will be hoping that their excellent record at Stoke will continue with success on Saturday ? even though the Potters are by no means the soft touch they were at the start of the season.

Recent signings Claus Vissing, Glenn Cunningham and Lee Complin have transformed their fortunes.

Newport has not been a good track in recent years for Edinburgh but the match will be approached in a positive frame of mind.

JACK'S BACK: Last Friday Monarchs utilised Buxton's Jack Roberts as replacement for long term injury victim Daniele Tessari.

It was 16 year old Jack's Premier League debut, a tough match, and he has been handed another 2 chances, on Friday and at Stoke on Saturday.

SPONSORS ON FRIDAY: Sponsoring Friday's meeting will be Calton Contracts, the flooring specialists from Livingston, making their third visit to Armadale.

WASPS ON FORM: Newport have been near the foot of the table in recent years, and while they are probably not championship material in 2007, they are certainly providing far more formidable opposition.

Rajkowski at reserve could be very formidable, and the other debutant, 19 year old Tom Hedley, is the latest sensation from Australian hotbed Mildura. His progress is so good that he scored a maximum at home against Glasgow last Sunday.

Veteran Welshman Phil Morris has finally joined his local club this season, and he has a good record at Armadale. He has also been known for providing plenty of incidents on his previous visits!

Early season reserve Nick Simmons was thrown into a heat leader position as Rajkowski went down to reserve, and he has not found it easy to slot in at no. 1. But Tony Atkin and Chris Schramm give the Wasps plenty of vim and vigour in the middle order in what is generally an entertaining team.

LAST WEEK'S MEETING: The Scotwaste Monarchs lost to league champions King's Lynn by 43-47 at Armadale last Friday. Top home scorers were Theo Pijper and Derek Sneddon with 9, but that was well short of King's Lynn's Daniel Nermark who scored a 15-point maximum.

NEXT WEEK'S MEETING: Redcar Bears have already won at Armadale this season (in the Premier Trophy) and they return for a league fixture on Friday 22nd June.

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